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This short story is about an overly handsome young man who develops haters through his successes. He demonstrates his true strength and composure by keeping things moving, professional, and continues on, or does he?....
"The Rise of Marlone"
Marlone Pharaoh Devon was born with nothing but a sharp mind, a clean, very handsome face, and an insatiable fire in his soul. The streets of Crenshaw didn’t make men like him—they tried to break them. But Marlone wasn’t built to bend. His mother, a single woman with rough hands and a prayerful heart, taught him three things: speak little, move smart, and let God fight battles you can’t.
By 23, Marlone had already built his first business—a sleek clothing brand called Savage Thread. Within months, celebrities were wearing it. Influencers begged for sponsorships. His Instagram numbers shot from a few hundred to half a million. Suddenly, the boy from the block became a walking symbol of what was possible.
But success draws shadows.
It started with whispers—“He sold his soul.” “He must be scamming.” “He ain’t that smart.” Marlone ignored it. He was too focused on expansion, branding, and lifting up his boys who stood with him when he had holes in his sneakers.
Then came the subtler attacks. Anonymous DMs with threats. His company’s emails hacked. Two of his closest friends turning cold, one of them even starting a rival brand with stolen designs. Marlone kept moving. That’s what made them hate him more.
He didn’t retaliate. He elevated.
By 25, he was on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. But the night that article dropped, someone spray-painted a warning on the side of his warehouse: "STAY HUMBLE OR STAY HUNGRY."
He didn’t flinch. He ordered cameras, upgraded security, and moved in silence.
One morning, Marlone’s mother called him in tears. Someone had smashed her front windows. On the sidewalk, spelled in broken glass, was one word: "ENOUGH."
That was the day something shifted.
Marlone went silent on social media. He ghosted every interview and turned down events. Even his most loyal followers began wondering: Where is he?
Three months passed.
Then one cold November evening, he reappeared. Not online—but on every TV in the city. A special interview. Clean-cut, more serious than ever, wearing a black suit with the Savage Thread logo shining gold on his collar.
“I’ve seen success. I’ve seen envy. And I’ve seen betrayal,” Marlone said on live broadcast. “But I’m not here to clap back. I’m here to build. And I’m inviting every underdog, every fighter, every overlooked genius to join me. I’m launching something bigger than fashion. We’re starting a movement.”
It was called "The Undeniables." A mentorship empire for young creators, backed by major investors who believed in Marlone's vision.
The haters went quiet—for a while.
But one night, as Marlone left the new headquarters, his security guard found a USB drive taped under his car. Inside it was footage—grainy, black-and-white security cam footage of Marlone meeting privately with an investor months ago.
The investor was a known fraudster. The footage looked... incriminating.
Marlone’s heart stopped.
He never made deals with that man. He remembered the conversation well—it ended with Marlone walking away.
But in the video, it showed them shaking hands.
The video was fake. But it was good. Very good.
The next day, a tweet with the video went viral. “Y’all favorite hero? Just another snake in a suit. #MarloneExposed.”
Marlone watched it spread. His inbox flooded. Sponsors paused partnerships. News stations demanded a response.
Then his phone buzzed. An unknown number. No name. Just one message:
“Stay down, or we bury the truth with you.”
Marlone stared at the message, pulse pounding.
He looked out his window, at the city he once vowed to uplift.
He knew one thing for sure.
This wasn’t about clothes anymore.
This was war.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]🔥🔥🔥
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